MINURSO continues identification process

The UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is continuing to identify members of "contested tribes" and conduct an appeals process for people deemed ineligible to vote in an upcoming referendum, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a new report. Contested tribes are groups over which there is disagreement as to whether they should be identified as Sahrawi. The report deals with the status of preparations for the referendum, which will allow the people in the former Spanish colony to chose between independence or integration with Morocco. MINURSO and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are also stepping up preparations to repatriate refugees to the territory, Annan said. "It is now important that confidence building measures be implemented promptly through the establishment of communications facilities and visits," he added. However, delays in solving certain issues in the identification operation, the staggered opening of appeals centres and staffing shortages, have affected parts of the timetable for the referendum process, Annan said. The UN is making special efforts to increase staffing to the required levels, but because of the amount of work ahead, additional resources may be needed to keep to the current timetable.